


Whole

by mneiai



Category: DCU, Green Lantern (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 14:19:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11106339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mneiai/pseuds/mneiai
Summary: A bit of a riff on a soulmate AU. With aliens.





	Whole

**Author's Note:**

> Per usual, this is unbeta'd/written up real quickly.

"Soul...mate?" Hal repeated, staring at Kilowog. "I don't think that's translating properly."

Of course, Sinestro happened to be walking by at that exact moment (because that was the sort of luck Hal had) and gave him one of his typical "I knew humans were stupid, but not THIS stupid" looks.

"Soulmate, Jordan. The person who has a matching mark? The mark everyone is born with? Their other half?"

"Uh...no, sorry, still don't get it." Now others were staring, giving Hal the impression he'd somehow made humans look EVEN WORSE than he normally did. "I guess...humans are born whole?" he joked, helplessly.

Kilowog's whole face sort of...collapsed, at that point. "Gee, Jordan, I'm sorry. I...didn't realize...."

Others were moving away, chatter quickly growing as this new and apparently horrifying piece of information worked its way through the ranks. And Sinestro...Sinestro was just staring, a quizzical expression on his face. That might have been the worst, because Hal didn't know what to DO with that.

"Uh, anyway, I better head out. Don't want to be late for patrol." He set his own patrol schedule, now.

~~~

A few days later, Hal had mostly forgotten about the incident (he was very, very good at that, anymore). So he was surprised and confused when Sinestro joined him on a patrol, when Hal happened to be near the border between their sectors.

"Haven't seen you around much, still dealing with trouble back home?"

Sinestro's eyes narrowed, but he nodded and answered, "Yes, I was. It is under control, now."

Hal smiled, relieved Sinestro hadn't tried to hide his problems with his typical insults. It wasn't like he'd look week in front of Hal, after all, Earth was notoriously chaotic and most other Lanterns' home planets appeared incredibly peaceful in comparison.

They flew in silence for a few more minutes before Hal had to break it, "Listen, uh, is there a reason you're hanging around?"

Sinistro stopped, Hal pulling up beside him, cocking his head to the side. 

"...Your people do not have soulmates? How do you find life partners?"

Hal blinked. "Uhhh, we just try out people we like until one sticks, I guess? I'm not really the best person to ask about relationships, I don't have a great track record."

"I had thought....I had assumed your odd relationship history sprung from not having met your fated mate, yet," Sinestro said, as if admitting some great secret. "That humans were a race that engaged in meaningless, short relationships before that and marriage was reserved for your mate."

"I guess I can see where that comes from." 

He'd learned a bit more about soulmates since finding out about them, mostly from his ring. Humans were in the 1% of sentient species that _didn't_ have them--most of the others were asexual species that didn't engage in romantic relationships. It had made Hal realize that it had been natural for others to _assume_ he had a soulmate.

"But...it's not like that. Some people marry the first person they fall in love with, some people love dozens of people but never get married. Hell, a lot of people still marry for reasons OTHER than love. I don't know if I'd even _like_ to have a soulmate--the idea of waiting around for just ONE person...all the people I would _miss out_ on because of it..." Hal trailed off, snorting. "You know how humans are, we'd find a way to wreck the soulmate thing, anyway."

Hal continued babbling for a few more minutes, filling the silence between them as they started to fly again. He shot occasional glances at Sinestro, waiting for him to speak, but didn't push again.

"In most cultures, your mate is...it. Very few people...have options after them."

And there it was, the issue at hand. Hal internally winced, remembering that Sinestro was a widower--and that, by everything he said, meant he'd lost his soulmate. 

"Really?"

"Sometimes two people who are both without their soulmates might pair up, but there is always something...missing."

"Yeah, I guess that would be inevitable, no connection or anything. No psychic pull."

"They are relegated to relationships as humans experience them."

Sinestro was looking at him again, eyes more intense than normal. Hal swallowed, mouth feeling dry suddenly.

"I have weighed the logic of such companionship, but never believed it would be worth the stress another in my position might cause." Hal thought, for a moment, that _maybe_ he was still reading the situation wrong. "But a human would never find someone not bonded to them lacking, would they?"

"Sinestro...Thaal...." Hal stopped again. "I'm not going to say I won't be someone's rebound guy--because I will, and I have been--but you strike me as a person that...wants more than that. And you can't just...jump at the first opportunity that comes along for a relationship. You'll meet someone, eventually, who you actually want to be with."

And it hurt to say, because there'd been a few times, before Hal had known his whole history, when he'd thought maybe there was something between him and Sinestro. Or at least could be. But he'd gotten over that. Mostly.

"Do I strike you as someone looking for short-term companionship?" Sinestro's expression had gone hard, his voice cold. 

"...No?"

"And would you have tried to enter into a relationship with me earlier, if I had seemed amenable?" 

"...Yes?"

"Then what, exactly, seems to be the problem?"

Hal's thoughts wavered, flitting from one potential issue to another, but he couldn't come up with any one thing that might dissuade Sinestro. 

"I'm not really good with this stuff, you realize? I'm...a really shitty boyfriend?"

"Unlike the Earthlings you have attempted such things with, I hardly need a lie for a sudden disappearance, nor would I have any right to become upset with a lengthy separation," Sinestro pointed out.

"That's...true."

"You have made it clear you find me attractive, as well. And we are already...friends."

"...Friends. Right. That's totally what we are." It was news to Hal--he had thought he was lucky Sinestro _tolerated_ him.

"Do you have any other objections?"

Hal licked his lips, looked Sinestro up and down, then shook his head. "No?"

"Good. It's settled, then."

"...Right."

Hal supposed it wasn't the weirdest way he'd ever started to date someone.


End file.
